Editorial: Theory and practice of soccer psychology

Abstract

Soccer is the most widely played and followed sport worldwide (Reilly and Williams, 2023). Over the past decade, soccer psychology has emerged as a rapidly expanding interdisciplinary field encompassing diverse and multifaceted domains (Konter and Loughead, 2019). Moreover, sport psychology consultation is more widely accepted and has grown immensely in the twenty-first century (Aoyagi et al., 2012). Therefore, the study of soccer psychology incorporates a broad array of topics from psychology and sport sciences (Dixson and Mitchell, 2020; Konter and Loughead, 2019). Psychological preparation in general, and coping and mental strategies in particular are increasingly being recognized as a critical determinant of success, representing a cutting-edge component in modern soccer. Many soccer teams now routinely provide sport psychology services for their athletes’ psychological preparation, health and performance enhancement (Strudwick, 2016). The demands placed on sport psychologists and consultants continue to rise within soccer clubs, Olympic teams, and national squads. Therefore, the latest soccer specific evidence-based knowledge is required (Konter and Loughead, 2019). This e-book features chapters authored by seasoned researchers and practitioners with extensive experience in soccer psychology. We are pleased to announce that our new e-book, titled Theory and practice of soccer psychology, is now published by Frontiers in Psychology. It comprises eight recent research articles, authored by international experts, covering a broad spectrum of topical areas, including mental health, cognitive development, probabilistic modeling of penalty kicks, temperament traits, gender participation, coach-athlete relationships, burnout, and athlete satisfaction. The select papers include various research designs, gender, age groups, and experience level of soccer players. The objective of this e-book is to provide the most up-to-date knowledge and cover advances in soccer psychology for sport psychology consultants, coaches, scouts, managers, researchers and students in the sport sciences.